I'm contemplating getting a Hurst V Gate shifter or similar for my Dart or Road Runner but heard that there may be some fitment issues requiring the floor tunnel to be heavily modified to accommodate it. Can any of you guys with experience using one confirm this or post pics of the shifter after installation? I just want to get my ducks in a row before I go through the effort of locating and buying one. Appreciate the help. -Trent

I can dig for pics from another PC ive got but you know with the odd adapter/extension plate its not a bolt in type deal. But you be cutting as I thing they all go a bit more reward then a oem hurst type. Mine did.

They are costly the last few years and unless you really need one for some serious shifting like racing or street money racing or have a high rpm (like 7500) and deep deep gear (4.88) where your just slamming to the next gear and more or less use the clutch to launch off of imo money spent on a good hurst competition plus shifter is still the way to go.

I ran one for many years with a 833/liberty guts before going to a GF101 and "Long" v gate style shifter.

If used as intended they are not trans friendly.

Although I never looked that hard of it, a long shifter might be alot cheaper and a better it and they sure as hell work better, its not like 1971 anymore (I got a HR article of when they first came out either 70 or 71 I think and they never changed).

Way back in the day I put a Mr Gasket V Gate shifter in my Duster. It requires a lot of cutting of the tunnel. A better choice is the Hurst Ram Rod shifter much more compact and it shifted better. I still have both of those shifters. I may end up installing one in one of my projects.
The Long shifter is the best out there. I used their T handle shifter on my Jericos until they came out with the Pistol grip.

I loved the one I had and drove it on the street for several years, but you do have to cut a large chunk out of the rear section of the 4 speed hump.

if you put an A833 in your D300 it'll work nicely and put the shifter in a nice spot compared to the stock OD 4 speed shifter.


of the 17 or so Big block D100/150s I built over the years 10 of them had a V gates in them, it was the best way to deal with the awkward location of the shifter with an A833.

On your 74 RR it'll put the handle about 3 inches behind the front edge of the seat,.....but you'll thrash the floor hump....forget any console
The only A body I've had a V gate in was a 70 Duster, I used a 69 B-body trans with a Modified trans cross member and fabed up a floor hump to work.

I had one years ago and yes you have to cut a big hole for them to fit. Even 30 yeares ago, one designed for a mopar was hard to come by. I got one for a muncie and made my own linkage rods up. You have to lift the handle to reset into 1st gear, so you always have to remember where you are as you have to shift and let the vertigal gate fall to get 3rd and 4th gears. But man you can bang some gears with it. People used to think I had an automatic in the car.

Step one....... cut giant hole.

I had bought one to use with a liberty pro-shifted 833......... but I just couldn’t bring myself to cutting my totally rust free factory 4 speed floor.

So, I sold it....... along with the trans.

I would say the Mr. Gasket and Long are basically the same. I have one in my Barracuda and think it is a great drag race shifter but using it on the street in my opinion would be a real pain. Then of coarse the cutting to fit, thats up to you.

I have two right now. One is going in my Demon right now. My other one I would part with. It's a Mr. Gasket.
Let me know if your interested.

Ted

Thanks for the input guys. Much appreciated. After looking at them, it looks like the Mr. Gasket shifter is substantially larger than the Hurst version and would require more cutting. I'll probably try to round up a Hurst setup to try. Thanks again for the heads up. -Trent

Have you look at the Hurst Super Shifter 3? If not you might want to before buying any new shifter

Don't think you can buy a SSIII new any more.

I saw a couple of those guys on eBay but if I'm not mistaken, those are an "H" pattern shifter correct? I was thinking I wanted to go with an "Inline" shift pattern setup this time around which is why I was looking at the V gate and RamRod option. Also, I'm thinking I'm going to dabble with nitrous on the Road Runner so I feel like it will be a pretty busy and stressful ride at times as a rookie. Is that Super Shifter 3 a pretty slick setup?

I've used several SSIII's and there's one in my car now. It's not the shifter that makes the driver. The SSIII is a good shifter if you can find one. IIRC, the Super Shifter and the Super Shifter III are exactly the same except the III has a reverse lockout.

I've also use V-Gate shifters on the street. The only thing wrong with the V-Gate is you have to cut what I consider to be a massive hole in the floor and I hate that. Also, everybody who has one wants straight gold for them. The V-Gate is easy to drive on the street. The SSIII is about as good as it gets for a race shifter that has an H gate.

Just found a refurbished SSIII for 400 bucks on eBay. Damn. I don't think mine was that much new.

eBay is real crap shoot. I find that what people are asking for parts and what parts are actually selling for are worlds apart. Fair priced parts are out there. Just gotta keep an eye out for them when they pop up. If I had to pay some of these ridiculous eBay prices for these parts, I honestly couldn't afford to be in the hobby. Family first, then cars, just the way it is for me. -Trent

I remember being in the staging lanes at the track one time and there was a guy chatting with the owner of this 69 a12 4 speed car that was running high tens.
I don’t recall what the question was, but the answer was, “I’ve broken everything you can break from the block rearward......and a few things more than once”.

That’s the thought that comes to mind when I think: heavy car, 833, nitrous.

I have no doubt that's spot on. I should probably print your post and stick it to the dash so I can remember that somebody tried to warn me....

You can talk to people, but that doesn't mean they listen

I never ran a V gate shifter but when I raced my 66 Dart with the 833 four speed I used the Hurst Super Shifter and I did not have to cut the floor at all. It was an original 273 four speed car. Actually I never wanted the V gate as that Hurst super shifter worked awesome and I felt I could shift gers as fast as my buddies could with their V gate inline shifters. Actually I felt like I could shift faster with the Hurst super shifter then they were with their V gate shifters. I really liked that Hurst super shifter and the T handle on it instead of the ball. Ron